There are situations when using a sports board or vehicle when increased friction between the equipment and a user is essential for optimal performance. For example, such situations include when a user wishes to ride on a sports board, such as a surfboard. Conventional means of increasing friction on surfboards include the application of wax and the use of rubber pads with texture imparting patterns.
Applying wax to a surfboard can be a time intensive endeavor that needs to be done frequently, as often as before each time the board is used. The wax can get dirty from sand, soil, and other items near or in the water and is typically useful for only one use. Old wax that is no longer sticky or effective at increasing friction between the board and a rider can require removal before applying new wax. Transporting a board that is waxed that does not have a board cover can also be messy, as wax can easily transfer from the waxed board to a car seat, car rooftop, or a person's clothing when carrying the board. However, wax does have the advantages of being inexpensive, widely accepted, and not harsh against the skin of a rider.
Permanent or semi-permanent rubber traction pads are an alternative to wax. The advantages of rubber traction pads over wax are that they are less messy because there is little to no material transfer from the pads to the surroundings, rubber traction pads do not usually require frequent reapplication, and rubber traction pads are often manufactured in colors that may not show discoloration easily. The disadvantages of rubber traction pads, from the standpoint of a surfboard rider, include the inability to easily customize the traction for the environment (e.g. water temperature), high initial cost, and the pain of the traction pad on bare skin when lying chest down on the board to paddle out.
Other types of surface treatments can be used to locally increase friction, such as the use of grip-tape, roughening a small surface area, and the like. These surface treatments can definitely increase friction between a user and the surface or equipment, however, some of these surface treatments can cause painful abrasions or unintended damage to the user in the course of normal use or during a fall.